mad in pursuit journal

DISPATCHED FROM THE CROSSROADS, AT THE intersection OF ferocity & farce

Last night we watched George Clooney's "Good
Night, And Good Luck." The movie showed how courage can combine
with new technology to grab the world by the lapels and shake some
sense into it. Times have changed.

I know this movie was produced to give us a poke about about government
run amok and the obligation of the citizenry to do something about
it. If this film asks: "Where is the Edward R Murrow of today?" then I
answer, "Everywhere!" But what difference does it make?

With the support of their network, Fred Friendly and Edward R Murrow used
the wonder of television to expose Senator Joe McCarthy for the
dangerous man he was. Twisting or ignoring the facts, McCarthy
trampled the rights of a lot of innocent Americans. On film he
was a madman. Exposed, he toppled.

But today we're inundated with video of our politicians trampling our rights
and acting like dangerous buffoons. No one escapes mockery. Everyone
from mainstream media to amateur chuckleheads are getting into
the act. We live in an age where "The
Daily Show" and "The
Colbert Report" do Murrow's job for us.

Only now we mistrust the media too. Video is too easy to edit. It makes
whatever point we want it to. Parody, satire, and cynical misrepresentations
are thrown at us from every direction. The novelty has worn off.
We can't be shocked; we can only be entertained.